Wireless communication module

Abstract

To provide a wireless communication module capable of preventing radiation characteristics from being changed by deformation of an antenna circuit board, a wireless communication module includes an antenna circuit board having a first principal surface on which at least one antenna element is mounted and a second principal surface on which an integrated circuit is mounted. The wireless communication module includes a support that holds the antenna circuit board by being in contact with a pair of opposite sides thereof and that thereby keeps the antenna circuit board flat. The support either (i) faces the second principal surface and is separated from the second principal surface by a distance that is not smaller than the wavelength of an electromagnetic wave transmitted and received with use of the antenna circuit board or (ii) does not face the second principal surface.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A wireless communication module, comprising:
 an antenna circuit board having (i) a first principal surface on which at least one antenna element is provided and (ii) a second principal surface on which at least one feed line and an integrated circuit are provided, which integrated circuit is connected to the at least one antenna element via the at least one feed line; and 
 a support that holds a pair of opposite sides of the antenna circuit board so as to keep the antenna circuit board flat, 
 the support being provided so as to face the second principal surface of the antenna circuit board and so as to be away from the second principal surface of the antenna circuit board by a distance that is not smaller than a wavelength of an electromagnetic wave which is transmitted and received with use of the antenna circuit board. 
 
     
     
       2. The wireless communication module according to  claim 1 , wherein the support faces the second principal surface of the antenna circuit board and is in contact with the integrated circuit so as to diffuse heat generated by the integrated circuit. 
     
     
       3. The wireless communication module according to  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a heat pipe provided on a surface of the support. 
 
     
     
       4. The wireless communication module according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a heat diffusing plate, provided in a region of the first principal surface of the antenna circuit board, which diffuses heat generated by the integrated circuit, 
 in the region where no antenna element is provided, the region and the integrated circuit overlapping each other when the antenna circuit board is viewed from above. 
 
     
     
       5. The wireless communication module according to  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a heat pipe provided on a surface of the heat diffusing plate. 
 
     
     
       6. The wireless communication module according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the antenna circuit board is a flexible antenna circuit board which is composed of (i) a polyimide resin, (ii) a liquid crystal polymer, or (iii) a composite material composed of at least one of a polyimide resin and a liquid crystal polymer. 
 
     
     
       7. A wireless communication module, comprising:
 an antenna circuit board having (i) a first principal surface on which at least one antenna element is provided and (ii) a second principal surface on which at least one feed line and an integrated circuit are provided, which integrated circuit is connected to the at least one antenna element via the at least one feed line; and 
 a support that holds a pair of opposite sides of the antenna circuit board so as to keep the antenna circuit board flat, 
 the support being provided (i) so as to face the second principal surface of the antenna circuit board and so as to be away from the second principal surface of the antenna circuit board by a distance that is not smaller than a wavelength of an electromagnetic wave which is transmitted and received with use of the antenna circuit board or (ii) so as not to face the second principal surface of the antenna circuit board, 
 wherein the support faces the second principal surface of the antenna circuit board and is in contact with the integrated circuit so as to diffuse heat generated by the integrated circuit. 
 
     
     
       8. The wireless communication module according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a heat pipe provided on a surface of the support. 
 
     
     
       9. The wireless communication module according to  claim 7 , further comprising:
 a heat diffusing plate, provided in a region of the first principal surface of the antenna circuit board, which diffuses heat generated by the integrated circuit, 
 in the region where no antenna element is provided, the region and the integrated circuit overlapping each other when the antenna circuit board is viewed from above. 
 
     
     
       10. The wireless communication module according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a heat pipe provided on a surface of the heat diffusing plate. 
 
     
     
       11. The wireless communication module according to  claim 7 , wherein:
 the antenna circuit board is a flexible antenna circuit board which is composed of (i) a polyimide resin, (ii) a liquid crystal polymer, or (iii) a composite material composed of at least one of a polyimide resin and a liquid crystal polymer.